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Polly Nomial said:
Will be interested to see if you find a different perspective...
Strange. The new copy is much the same as the original and I found the balance to be very much dependent on the level and the selection. For example, the chorus is always well-balanced L-R at most all levels but the L-R balance for the orchestra depends on the section (and, hence, on the scoring) and on playback at a fairly high level. At normal gain setting and normal listening levels, right side is less prominent.
But, if I play it back at much higher gain than I usually use, the balance is restored and the whole soundstage comes into perspective. Still, most of the power/weight is from the left. I will inquire about the seating and the miking for this performance.
Kal
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Post by Castor June 25, 2009 (32 of 88)
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Kal Rubinson said:
Strange. The new copy is much the same as the original and I found the balance to be very much dependent on the level and the selection. For example, the chorus is always well-balanced L-R at most all levels but the L-R balance for the orchestra depends on the section (and, hence, on the scoring) and on playback at a fairly high level. At normal gain setting and normal listening levels, right side is less prominent.
But, if I play it back at much higher gain than I usually use, the balance is restored and the whole soundstage comes into perspective. Still, most of the power/weight is from the left. I will inquire about the seating and the miking for this performance.
Kal
You my have hit upon the answer here. I do tend to play recordings quite ( my wife would say very) loud and did not notice any undue imbalance. Will play again at lower level and report.
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Here's the answer: Somehow, the center and right channels were swapped on both the copies I have. If you swap the connections in your system for this, all is glorious. Even the parts I thought were sorta OK (chorus for DEC and the opening Poulenc) are also greatly improved.
It must have been a slip up in the production but these discs should be re-called and replaced with correctly channeled versions.
I have notified the CSO producer about this.
Kal
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Post by krisjan June 26, 2009 (34 of 88)
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Nice sleuth work Kal.
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krisjan said:
Nice sleuth work Kal.
+1
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Post by synthy June 26, 2009 (36 of 88)
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Polly Nomial said:
+1
Indeed! I just switched the channels and it's a big improvement. Upon a cursory listen I didn't notice there was anything very (actually) wrong - I also listened at a high volume and simply thought the center channel was unusually prominent and the recording was a bit murky.
Clearly I wasn't paying much attention and was wrong. My MoFi Skrowaczewski/Minnesota Daphnis is also shifted somewhat to the left, but naturally so in that case.
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After having panned this disc in my review, I still stand by what I have said about the terrible performance. Haitink does not realize this piece ENDS with an orgy. It is so tame, it is boring. The opening goes by with no finesse, it almost sounds too fast and is just plain dull.
One other thing. The Poulenc GLORIA is one of the worst I have EVER heard. First of all, the soprano should be stripped and sprayed. She sings flat quite a few times! Most of the problems stem from her vocal teachnique. Her turkey wobble vibrato in her highest register is out of control and way to fast, with the pitch center of the oscillation never quite in the middle of where the pitch should be. How this soprano thinks she can sing this repertoire is a mystery to me, but then, such is the way of the world with agents who promote singers. I have had quite a few performances of the Beethoven 9th marred by terrible soloists I could not replace at the last minute.
The choral singing is not up to the old standards of the CSO chorus. None of the phrases ever lead to each other. Releases are imprecise, which I may blame on a conductor who is just beating time, instead of leading the phrasing with the choir. The conductor NEVER inspires the chorus to deliver the text of this GLORIA like they mean the text. Dull singing and NO projection.
I did receive a new copy of this SACD from the person coordinating the CSO resound program, and this disc plays fine, with the proper mix in surround, BUT nothing can save these terrible performances. If you have a copy of the DVD-audio issue of Martinon in Surround, feel VERY lucky. I have a copy and it is still a classic performance. Still, the Munch RCA is the performance to have.
I agree that the Boulez Berlin Philharmonic DG performance sounds as if it is played in the wrong language. The La Valse is also not quite right and I suspect the idiom in the performance just does not jell.
The old Boulez/SONY RBCD of Daphnis with the New York Philharmonic is the performance to have, if one must have Boulez.
Get Munch and hear the passion!
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By the way, the replacement copy of the disc I received, from the CSO Resound coordinator, was pre-auditioned before shipping. I played both discs side by side and they are different. In the defective one, the image is all on the left side of the room. In the replacement disc, the image is properly centered between the front speakers with hall resonance and reverb in the rear channels...
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gonzostick said:
By the way, the replacement copy of the disc I received, from the CSO Resound coordinator, was pre-auditioned before shipping. I played both discs side by side and they are different. In the defective one, the image is all on the left side of the room. In the replacement disc, the image is properly centered between the front speakers with hall resonance and reverb in the rear channels...
You are fortunate.
Kal
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Post by Castor June 27, 2009 (40 of 88)
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Kal Rubinson said:
Here's the answer: Somehow, the center and right channels were swapped on both the copies I have. If you swap the connections in your system for this, all is glorious. Even the parts I thought were sorta OK (chorus for DEC and the opening Poulenc) are also greatly improved.
It must have been a slip up in the production but these discs should be re-called and replaced with correctly channeled versions.
I have notified the CSO producer about this.
Kal
I tried this and even at low level the improvement and focus and balance to the sound is immediately noticeable.
Thanks for all your efforts on identifying so calmly and unhysterically the problem with this otherwise excellent disc.
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